


I love the thought of us....

by RhettandLink1999



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:01:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26551783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhettandLink1999/pseuds/RhettandLink1999
Summary: Link confesses his love.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	I love the thought of us....

Rhett watched Link from across the room, he was wiggling his leg as he worked. The constant tapping was getting more frequent and Rhett wondered what was going on.

“Link,” Rhett’s serious tone of voice got Links attention. “What’s going on man, I can see somethings bothering you.” Rhett has known Link so long they red each other like books most of the time.

Link is silent for a moment as Rhett stares him down as if contemplating if he would tell Rhett. “Nothing, I’m fine, just trying to get some work done.” His tone is dismissive urging Rhett to drop it. But Rhett is curious.

Rhett rolls his chair to be closer and face Link who decides to face his desk.

“Talk to me brother.” Rhett places a hand on his shoulder and Link tenses. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Link is beginning to get angry and Rhett removes his hand before leaning back in his chair crossing his hands behind his head relaxed.

“That’s fine I got time to wait.” 

Link sighs angrily before standing up pointing a finger at Rhett. “You always do this, Some parts of my life you don’t need to be involved in. I’m telling you to LEAVE THIS ALONE!”

Rhett is standing now squared up to his best friend who is standing on his tip toes trying to be aligned with Rhett. 

Link turns to leave before Rhett grabs him by the shoulders. “IM TELLING YOU I AM IN YOUR LIFE AND we go through the hard parts together.” His voice softens with his grip as he lets go of an angry Link. Rhett knew Link well enough to know Link needed to verbally process whatever was going on. Link had been distant and nervous all day and Rhett wanted to know why.

Link nods his head before sitting down Rhett follows suit.

“Rhett I appreciate you wanting to help. But it’s not a big deal me and Christy had a huge fight last night and I don’t know how to make things right.” 

“What was the fight about?” Link turns red and looks away. “Stupid stuff I don’t remember.” Rhett knew he was lying.

“C’mon buddyroll tell me the truth we’ll come up with a way for you to make it up to her.” Rhett teasingly punches Link’s arm getting the sense this was an embarrassing thing to say and that’s why his friend is hesitant.

“I don’t know Rhett..” Link is not looking Rhett in the eye which is a bad sign.

“It’s ok this doesn’t leave this room.” Rhett assures him laying a hand on Link’s knee who pulls away.

“Well, Christy caught me, you know…” He motions his hand like he is jerking off. “looking at the internet, but she wasn’t even mad said she would join me,” Rhett nods confused at the problem but lets Link finish.

“I tried to close my laptop but she took it to see what I was looking at and she got so pissed… She kicked me out, told me to sleep at the creative house that she needed time to think.” Link is upset and Rhett can tell he is ready to punch a wall or cry.

“Hey, hey now it can’t be that bad, just tell her she’s more beautiful than any of those girls, that you would never have the emotional connection to them like you do her.” Rhett is trying to be supportive wanting to pull Link close to him and let him cry but Link seems to want to distance himself from Rhett and he can’t figure out why. 

“It… it wasn’t like that, There wasn’t some girl on the screen. It was a story…” Rhett is confused. “What do you mean Link?”

“I.. I… Can’t talk about it.” he turns away from Rhett facing the wall. Rhett stands up getting to that side of him kneeling in front of Link mindful that his knees would hurt but willing to sacrifice that to be able to find his blood brothers gaze. A hand on Link’s slumped shoulder.

“Link, you don’t have to hide stuff from me, let’s figure this out. Why is Christy angry?” Rhett’s voice is uncharacteristically gentle, a voice rarely used reserved only for Link that even Jessie hadn’t heard.

“I was jerking off to fanfiction about us.” Link let tears slide down his face as Rhett withdrawls his hand with a silent gasp. 

Link’s shoulders begin to shake. His head falling into his hands with shame.

“She told me not to come home!” 

“Link…” Regardless of what Link said Rhett wanted to hold and comfort his lifelong friend. 

Rhett stood pulling Link with him holding him in a tight embrace wrapping his strong arms around Links small torso engulfing him the familiar smell of Rhett and the comfort of his warmth making Link sob harder as he felt loved and cared for by his friend. 

They held each other for a long while till Link’s sniffles died down his tears had wet the front of Rhett’s shirt where his head fit so perfectly in the crook of Rhett’s neck as Rhett rubs his back softly telling him “Shh everythings going be alright…” 

When Link was calm and pulled away to meet Rhett’s gaze he found Rhett’s looked like he might cry as well, and Link knew his eyes were red and puffy he reached beneath his glasses to wipe them as Rhett pointed to the loft. Link nodded. Rhett locked the office door knowing they wanted some privacy to talk undisturbed and texted Stevie that they were done for the day before following Link up with a box of Kleenex in his hands.

Rhett sits down beside Link on the couch and they turned to face each other knees touching.

They sit in silence, Rhett trying to process what Link had revealed to him and Link trying come up with something to say that might help the situation.

“It….. It isn’t like I have done it a lot Rhett.” Link begins trying to deflect the real problem. 

Rhett listens intently staring into Link’s eyes. Another tear slips down his face and Rhett reaches up wiping it away. 

“Why are you crying?” His heart breaks as he watches his friend fall apart.

“Because I don’t want to break this!” his words come out rushed and urgent and it breaks Rhett’s heart. He pulls Link into a tender hug. 

“Nothing, Nothing could ever break this.” He holds Link and thinks about how his own feelings had evolved over time not willing to share anything yet about how during quarantine when he had been forced to spend time away from Link that he had realized how much he couldn’t survive without the soft touches in passing, knee bumping, and daily shenanigans with Link. 

Link stays in Rhett’s arms for awhile as Rhett begins to talk softly making circles on Links back.

“How long?” Rhett wants to know when the fanfiction reading started. 

Link clears his throat “3 weeks into quarantine.” Rhett laughs. 

Link pokes him in the stomach. “What’s so funny?” 

“I only made it 2.” Link pales before laughing with Rhett. The air seeming to change in the room causing Link to pull away putting some distance between them.

“So you also…” Motions to his crotch. “to stories about me and you?” Link seems intrigued and confused and Rhett can’t wait to see where this is going.

“Yeah… I told myself it was a vain thing, or that I was just subconsciously missing you and that’s why it turned me on so much. “ Rhett suddenly blushes wishing he had rephrased it. 

“But then when we were together again I seemed to be able to let the habit go.” Rhett was not at all surprised they had fallen into the same habit, they had both been curious after reading it on the show. Opening a box Rhett had never let himself get to close to for fear of loosing Link, but being stuck at home away from Link with nothing to distract himself with he had let himself divulge in the world of Rhink.

“I thought I could let it go but… I couldn’t I hadn’t felt that good in a long time, when I let myself think about what we could have had….” Link lets his words trail off before Rhett reached for Link’s hand.

Rhett is fighting back fresh tears realizing all the years they could have been holding each other. Been more, done what neither boy would admit they wanted since high school. 

“Why can’t we have it now?” Rhett feels he is on the edge of something afraid to look to far into the possibilities. 

Link breathes in a long sigh. “We can’t Rhett, We took vows.” His mouth said one thing even as he stared at Rhett’s lips.

Rhett nods sadly even though Jessie had given him a free pass in exchange for a free pass of her own for a celebrity crush.

Link looks away. Distraught with himself. Rhett knew Christy, knew the reason she was upset was that Link hadn’t told her about it more than the fact of what Link had been caught doing. 

“Why don’t you call her, explain how you felt. That you were just lonely and missed me. That we have never been unfaithful…” The solution broke Rhett’s heart knowing by the end of the day they may be unwilling to talk about the subject again. Closing that side of them forever. 

“But… I wasn’t just lonely. Rhett you don’t understand, just watching some of the things weve done. Just thinking about them, the guy ferri dress up, the bathtubs we share, the plexi glass kiss….” Link starts to cry again.

“I just want to see what it would be like. I never let myself admit it before it’s like we’ve been dancing around this energy our whole lives.” Rhett nods aware that in this moment he could kiss Link, all vows would be forgotten for a moment and Rhett could experience all of Link, But Rhett knew the guilt would absolutely wreck Link, coming from a broken family divorce was never seen as an option for him.

“Do you not think Christy would understand?” Rhett is gentle in words careful with his touch to Links leg as to not start something he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop.

“Jessie gave me a pass, for you. I’ve had it since our wedding day we jokingly set up exceptions Christy had a few and you were my only one. She knew I was in love with you.” 

Link sighs in his hand. “Really?” Rhett nods. 

Just then Links phone starts ringing in his pocket. 

Its Christy.

“talk to her Link…” Rhett sounds sad knowing Link would pledge his devotion to her and only her. He gets up to leave but Link grabs his hand holding it.

“Please stay with me!” He pleads. Rhett nods sitting back down.

“Hello,” 

“Link…. I’ve been thinking about what happened, I know you. I know you wouldn’t have done things with Rhett.” Rhett can hear Christy as Link sits tensely listening to his wife.

“But I also know now that you want to… I’ve thought about since last night and I considered how we grew up and how you were never free to explore that side of you. Link is that why you were…” She clears her throat. 

Link nods before he realizes she cant see him. “Yyyess Christy. I would never had physically cheated on you, I just wonder what I missed. Wondered if I could have both? I love Rhett! And Christy I love you!” His voice softens now squeezing Rhett’s leg. 

“I see. I thought you might say that. Well does Rhett feel the same way about you?” Her voice is less shaky now and she seems less emotional.

Link looks at Rhett and he motions to take the phone. “Christy, this is Rhett. I.. I would love to eplore things with Link with your permission of course…” Rhett is on cloud 9 he couldn’t quite get to speed with what might be happening. 

“Jessie?” She questions.

“I’ve known I was in love with Link for a long time Jessie knows, and I have a standing pass, she would actually be really happy for me.” Rhett is tearing up as he thinks of how much love he has for both Link and Jessie.

“Put me on speaker.” Christy demands and Rhett obeys.

“Link I love you so much, It was unfair of me to jump to conclusions so quickly. I know you haven’t been happy lately and if this will make you happy. You have my blessing, we can talk about it more when you get home.” Link is sobbing as Rhett stares at him pulling him into a hug. 

“Thankyou… Thankyou!” He murmurs as he holds tightly to Rhett before Christy tells them to work things out and said goodbye.

“Link,” Link was leaned into Rhett’s side holding his torso his head buried in Rhetts chest.

“Yeah brother,” 

“I love you,”


End file.
